Mnwild wrote:
Ive changed fluid and filter every 50,000 since new.Including torque converter. Added larger cooler when we bought the 5er.130,000 now. Anyone recommend a good transmission shop.
In as much as I have the same transmission and engine as you do, lets delve into this a bit deeper shall we...
You state you changed the fluid at 50K intervals. That isn't nearly enough for severe duty service and pulling with it is severe duty. It should be changed every 24K at the maximum, fluid and pan filter...
Secondly, you state you changed the fluid in the torque converter, I'd like to know how you did that or is that what the shop that changed it said? There is no access to the torque converter in a E4OD to drain it except by removing the transmission and pulling it our. If they power flushed it, maybe but that is the only way and if you had that done, was the fluid replaced with new fluid or was the old stuff filtered and put back in? Lots of flush places do that. it works for a lightly loaded trans, it's death on a hard worked one. Fluid looses it's additive package and then, bang, she's done.
Thirdly, did you bother to pull the dipstick and check the level before you started your trip or did you assume it was ok? reason I ask is, first thing I do before I go anywhere is check all my fluid levels, trans and engine. Did you and if you did, did you check it when it when it got 'hot'? You never answered if you did or didn't, you never said if the fluid was red or dark brown or if it was even on the dipstick.
E4's will take 250 degrees no problem, so long as the fluid isn't contaminated or low. I know, I have one. I run thew bags out of mine, but, I take care of it too...
A rebuilt box will run you about 2100 bucks plus install at any transmission shop or Ford Garage.
While I feel bad for you being in a pickle, I wonder how much you contributed to the transmission's demise
On the revers side, I run a Hayden 12 pass swirl cool transmission cooler on mine, a cast aluminum B&M deep sump pan (increases fluid capacity by a gallon) and most importantly, I change my fluid every year no matter if I use the truck 5,000 miles or 12,000 miles, it gets changed, the filter gets changed along with the fluid...
and I do it myself. Super easy to change trans fluid and filters and Dexron-Mercon is cheap, I buy it in 5 gallon pails.
Like Clint Eastwood said.... 'So did ya or didn't ya'?
